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Maple Leafs Watch: Injuries no excuse

News

Maple Leafs Watch: Injuries no excuse

As the autopsy on the Maple Leafs’ schizophrenic campaign kicks into high gear, you’re bound to hear Toronto players, management and apologists lean heavily on injuries as the prime excuse for another lost season.

“Why, we had to play without Bryan McCabe for weeks on end!,” they’ll say, conveniently ignoring the fact that, prior to breaking his hand, McCabe was among the chief contenders to win the Alexei Yashin Award For Most Egregiously Awful Return On A Multi-Million-Dollar Contract.

“Why, we were also without Mark Bell and Boyd Devereaux and John Pohl for a good chunk of the season!,” they’ll add, before they wonder why everyone they say it to always wets themselves laughing immediately afterward.

The fact is every NHL team has to overcome injuries if they wish to claim the Stanley Cup at the end of the season. For proof, here’s a list of Cup contenders this year, and the players who’ve missed significant time for them along the way: